Play Before Birth (Coast to Coast Theatre Company)

It’s said that having children is the worst thing one can do to our planet, and ‘Play Before Birth’ explored this timely conundrum through the conflicting attitudes of four women. One character’s conviction that surgical sterilisation will save the planet was intriguing, but she seemed to be there to primarily serve a function, leaving little room for tensions around childbirth to build organically, or for relationships to evolve. Although this piece had some engaging, emotive moments, there were also times when the actors lacked any clear intention. When the naturalistic world moved into more surreal territories, it was barely refuted by the characters, which seemed implausible. Nonetheless, this thought-provoking play raised some unremittingly bleak questions, which certainly reflected its important subject matter, but didn’t inspire much hope.